Joyous Celebration + Eric Moyo - Atawale - Let Him Reign Lyrics
Lyrics
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me, besides still water
My soul overflows
And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
For You are with me (You are with me) .
– in Swahili
Atawale x2 mwachie Yesu, atawale
(Let him reign, let Jesus come and reign)
Atawale x2 mwambie Yesu, atawale
(Let him reign, tell Jesus come and reign)
(Repeat) .
Come and rain Lord, come and reign
For the Glory is Yours, come and reign (Repeat) .
– in Lingala
Akumama, Yesu akumama eh
Na bomoyi nanga, akumama
(Repeat) .
– in Swahili
Wa milele wa milele (Forever and ever)
Mungu wa baraka ni Yesu, Yahweh
(God of blessings is Jesus, Yahweh)
Wa milele wa milele (Forever and ever)
Mungu wa baraka ni Yesu, we
(God of blessings is Jesus)
(Repeat) .
Yesu wa baraka, ni Yesu
(Jesus of blessings, it’s Jesus)
Wa baraka, ni Yesu, ni Yesu x?
(Of Blessings, it’s Jesus, it’s Jesus) .
– in Lingala
Nako tika te, Yesu apona nga banda bo muana (I will not give up because Jesus has chosen me since my childhood)
(Repeat) .
Yesu wabonanga (Ni Yesu)
Wabonanga (ni Yesu) (Repeat) .
– in Swahili
Wa milele wa milele (Forever and ever)
Mungu wa baraka ni Yesu, Yahweh
(God of blessings is Jesus, Yahweh)
Wa milele wa milele (Forever and ever)
Mungu wa baraka ni Yesu, we
(God of blessings is Jesus)
(Repeat) .
Anasumbukia maisha yetu, we (He cares for our lives)
Ni Yesu Ye (It is Jesus)
Wa milele wa milele (Forever and ever)
Mungu wa baraka ni Yesu, we
(God of blessings is Jesus)
(Repeat) .
Yesu wa baraka, ni Yesu
(Jesus of blessings, it’s Jesus)
Wa baraka, ni Yesu, ni Yesu x?
(Of Blessings, it’s Jesus, it’s Jesus) .
Response: Aah ni Yesu, weh (Ah it’s Jesus)x?
Jesus You are my provider/my healer .
Video
Atawale (Live at the Sandton Convention Centre - Johannesburg, 2018)
Meaning & Inspiration
Joyous Celebration captures a profound surrender in Atawale, shifting from the quiet confidence of Psalm 23 to an explosive cry for the Lord to occupy the throne of the human heart. By anchoring the song in the declaration that the Lord is our shepherd, Eric Moyo and the choir acknowledge the foundational truth of Psalm 23:1—that when God is our provider, our lack is transformed into divine sufficiency. The lyrics transition quickly from this pastoral comfort to the urgent, imperative call to let Jesus reign. This is not merely a request for intervention; it is a biblical recognition of His right to rule. Romans 14:9 reminds us that Christ died and rose again specifically so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. When the choir sings to let Him reign, they echo the prayer of every believer who recognizes that true peace comes only when the self-throne is vacated for the King of Kings.
The multilingual expressions in Swahili and Lingala expand this confession beyond personal borders, touching on the universality of His sovereignty. Calling Jesus the God of blessings mirrors the Apostle Paul’s doxology in Ephesians 1:3, recognizing that every spiritual blessing originates in Him. When the text proclaims that He has chosen us since childhood, it taps into the mystery of election found in Ephesians 1:4, confirming that our devotion is a response to His prior, intentional love. The refrain that He cares for our lives reflects 1 Peter 5:7, providing a tether of grace amidst the storms. This song demands that we stop holding onto the reigns of our own lives and acknowledge that the glory belongs entirely to the Shepherd. He is not a distant deity but a present, active King who shepherds our souls through the darkest valleys. When you invite Him to reign, you stop navigating by your own light and start walking in the authority of the One who holds the keys to death and Hades.